Upwork has released its second annual Future Workforce Index, surveying 2,400 US skilled knowledge workers. The study found that over one in three skilled US knowledge workers now freelance, up from roughly one in four a year ago. Freelancers performing AI work on Upwork's marketplace earn 34% more per hour than those not using AI. However, earnings vary significantly by complexity. Complex AI-augmented work saw earnings increase 45% year-over-year, whilst generative AI and creative production work experienced 90% growth in contract starts but a 13% decline in per-contract earnings. The research identifies the emergence of "AI Orchestrators" — professionals who integrate AI tools with domain expertise and human judgement. AI-augmented professional services grew 72% in volume with earnings rising 22%. Additionally, 58% of full-time employees now consider freelancing, up from 36% previously.

Upwork has secured a $150 million revolving credit facility with Bank of America, with BofA Securities and Wells Fargo Securities serving as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners. The agreement, dated 23 June 2026, includes a $10 million sublimit for standby letters of credit and an option to increase the facility by up to $50 million. The proceeds may be used for working capital, general corporate purposes, repurchasing convertible debt, transaction fees and potential acquisitions. The facility is secured by substantially all assets of Upwork and its domestic subsidiaries. Borrowings will bear interest at Term SOFR plus 2.00% to 2.50%, or Base Rate plus 1.00% to 1.50%, based on the company's consolidated net leverage ratio. The facility matures on 23 June 2029.

Upwork has launched the Upwork Claude Connector, an app within Anthropic's Claude that enables businesses to find and hire freelance talent directly through the AI assistant. Users can describe projects and receive shortlists of recommended professionals from Upwork's marketplace of over 18 million experts across 130 work categories. The integration allows businesses to create job posts through conversation with Claude, then continue to Upwork to complete hiring. Upwork's AI agent Uma then helps manage projects to completion. According to Upwork research, 74% of small and medium businesses plan to increase freelancer hiring, particularly for AI-driven initiatives. The Claude integration follows Upwork's ChatGPT app launch in April, expanding access to expert talent within popular AI tools where project planning occurs.